Billings, Montana – A Hays man, Wylon Alfred Plainfeather, 54, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for possessing unregistered firearms, a crime that put the public in harm’s way.
The sentence was handed down on March 2025 by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.
According to court documents, on December 27, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a Billings residence to search for a probationer. The probationer was not present, but officers searched the house and found three firearms in the basement.
As law enforcement was preparing to leave the residence following the search, Plainfeather pulled into the driveway. He admitted owning all three guns and acknowledged one was a sawed-off shotgun and another, a .22 caliber rifle, had a tube on it.
Plainfeather said he fired the gun with the tube and claimed it was not very effective at making it quieter. He said he got all the firearms from the reservation and that he traded for them.
Law enforcement officers confirmed the firearms were in operable condition but not registered to Plainfeather (or anyone else) in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and Montana Probation and Parole.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related Federal Cases
- Deric Ron Welch, Unregistered Silencer Possession, Montana 2023 · Texas
- Guy George Parenteau, Firearms Burglary, Montana 2013 · Louisiana
- Armondo Anthony Ronquillo, Possession of Stolen Firearms, Montana 2024 · Alabama
- Jose Angel Estrello, Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, Montana 2023 · Alabama
- Elias Miguel Nava, Unregistered Silencer Possession, Montana 2023 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
